Splitting Seams
by Flash Gator
Summary: Bringing Senketsu back would not be easy, and the risk to her own life would be great. But for Ryuko, the choice is simple. She would sooner die than lose him again. Ryuko/Senketsu Ryuketsu. Spoilers for end of anime. Future lemon.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Kill la Kill. The only thing I'd change would be the ending, anyhow. Incidentally, spoilers herein for the entire show. Please only read if you've watched every episode!**

**So, I finished Kill la Kill yesterday. Oh my God. Just, the feels. So many feels for these two! Uaaagh! I never saw myself shipping clothes. But well, here I am.**

**So, I have taken a risk and started a multichapter. I have only finished one of these, so please feel free to badger me and keep me super motivated! I'd actually love to get this one finished, and I can't see my feels diminishing for a while yet! Also, if more people could write fanfiction for them, that'd be super awesome. If you want to take any inspiration from this story, such as how Senketsu survived being vaporised, please feel free to use these ideas! I want more stories out there, so it's only fair to share ideas. **

**Also, my intent is to raise the rating of this story to 'M' at some point, so if it disappears from the K-T section, you know why!**

**Second chapter is pretty much already written, so that'll be up super soon, promise!**

_**EDIT: Just did a little rewriting and updating for this chapter, the previous seemed too sloppy for me. Though even this could do with some fine tuning, I am more satisfied with it. It is probably worth re-reading, as I changed a few bits. Don't worry, the second chapter won't be long now, I just had to fix this one first. It was upsetting me**_**.**

* * *

All he knew was dark.

It was not warm, not cold. There was no breeze, no sound.

He was aware only of himself. And there was little enough of that.

He had not enough substance to fashion so much as an eye with which to view his surroundings. He tried to call out, but knew not whether his attempts at communication were unsuccessful because he was no longer capable of speech, or because no one was around to hear him. He had little sensation beyond the ability to feel what he was in contact with. Hard, smooth. He knew nothing beyond that. He could be in a box, or a vast room. He could be in a crowd; perhaps he could no longer hear, either.

He could not move. There was nothing to stimulate him beyond the feel of the surface beneath him. And his memories.

He remembered the pain of unravelling, of taking on too much power. He remembered the heat of the fire as it burned away his body, he remembered the roar of the atmosphere surrounding them as they plummeted to the Earth.

He remembered her screaming his name as his remaining life fibres disintegrated.

He remembered Ryuko.

He remembered every moment of being with her. From that first drop of nourishing blood to their last words as he faded from existence. He remembered every battle, every argument, every conversation, every laugh. Every day of her wearing him. He remembered the feel of her skin, the sound of her voice, the taste of her blood...

_Drip_.

Lightning flashed through him. Power. Life. That familiar, sweet taste!

_Ryuko?!_

No answer came. Just another drop. Every few minutes, another drop hitting his small form, reigniting him. Sustaining him.

Time meant nothing in this place. He knew not whether he was alive or dead. He felt alive, but it could not be so, with every banshi of his being atomised in the atmosphere. All he had was the surface beneath him, the regular drops of Ryuko's blood, and his memories of her to keep him from madness.

Never did he think he would be in this place again. Weak, unable to move, feeling time pass, no end in sight. Before, he had nothing, no memories to think on. Now, it was almost worse. He could do nothing but yearn for Ryuko, remember her every time her blood hit him, even if he tried to put her memory from his mind. For countless days or weeks or months he replayed his time with her over and over, ceaselessly yearning for her to find him, to save him from this place. To wear him, just one more time...

* * *

The mansion held few good memories for Satsuki. Those she did have were of time spent with her father during her youth, or drinking Soroi's tea. However, now her mother had been defeated, the mansion need no longer be the home of bad memories for her. Indeed, as new head of the Kiryūin Conglomerate, it made sense for her to spend part of her time at the Kiryūin family estate.

Besides, there were some parts of the building that yet needed exploring and clearing out. The remains of the chamber that once contained the original life fibre was currently undergoing a thorough search, and would soon be entirely demolished. She had sent Iori ahead to Nui's former sewing room, and was on her way to join him. Though the crazed couturier had doubtless used the majority of her remaining life fibres, if not all, in the construction of her final kamui, one could never be too safe.

Satsuki slowed to a stop, having reached a pair of interlocking steel doors. Beyond, the cavernous expanse of Nui's sewing chamber stretched deep into the bowels of the mansion. Though she would normally have been prevented from entering due to a handprint recognition lock, she had anticipated such defences, and sent Inumuta ahead. His previous experience hacking into secure systems had been invaluable in opening the mansion's inner sanctums to her exploration. As it was, the sensor turned green upon being presented with her handprint, as it now would anyone's, and the doors obediently flew apart to permit her entry.

She had no sooner entered the room when Iori nearly barrelled into her, eyes wide in excitement. He immediately forced a calm expression upon meeting her, though she could still feel his body thrum with a nervous energy.

"Lady Satsuki. Please, follow me. I have found something I feel you must see."

Intrigued, Satsuki nodded, following Iori as he turned and strode back into the chamber with her permission. Satsuki allowed her gaze to wander as they traversed the dimly lit room, slipping between large banks of equipment and down metal stairs dusty from disuse. As she had suspected, the room proved mostly empty, and she saw no trace of life fibres in the main chamber.

Eventually, Iori stopped at a door, raising his palm to disengage the lock. The room they were about to enter rested three levels below that of the main chamber, cut deep into the earth below the sewing room. Satsuki felt her pulse quicken in anticipation; it was likely here that Nui worked on any experimental projects. She palmed Bakuzan, feeling its comforting length against her leg. There was no telling what Nui may have hidden in these dark recesses of her chamber. As if sensing her unease, Iori turned to face her, standing to one side as the doors slid open.

"You need not worry about traps, Lady Satsuki. I have already had Inumuta scan the room. It seems Nui saw it unnecessary to further protect these deeper rooms."

Satsuki nodded, reliquishing her gentle grip on Bakuzan. If Inumuta could find no traps, it was likely none existed. She slipped past Iori, turning her attention to studying the small chamber.

Cylindrical glass tanks reached from floor to ceiling, merging with both surfaces fluidly. Within each container, of which there surely exceeded fifty, rested a single life fibre. Of course, one could only assume these had once been life fibres, as Satsuki was unsurprised to note that each fibre she visited had faded to a dull grey. Affected by the dormancy signal, each fibre had eventually faded and died, becoming no more than a strand of cloth. She was surprised to note that each rested in a pool of dried blood.

"Are all these fibres banshi, Iori?"

A small grin lit his features.

"Trust you, Lady Satsuki, to reach such a conclusion so swiftly. Yes, these are all banshi. It appears Nui was undergoing some experimentation here. So far as I can surmise, she was using blood to nourish these banshi in the hope of increasing their power."

Satsuki hummed, moving amongst the tanks. Each was covered in a thin layer of dust, accumulated over the months since Ragyo's defeat. As she passed, Satsuki ran a finger through the fine layer coating each cylinder, glancing at the dead fibres within.

"How very like the grand couturier. However, whether or not her experimentation would have led to success, she is no longer an enemy we need fear. I feel there is something you are not telling me, Iori. Surely the haste with which you brought me here would indicate you have more to offer me than Nui's failed experiments?"

A chuckle rose from Iori as he passed Satsuki, beckoning her to the far end of the chamber with him.

"But of course, Lady Satsuki. While I was examining this room, I tested samples of the blood in several of the cylinders. Each came from the same donor. It would appear Nui was trying to strengthen her banshis by feeding them Ryuko's blood."

Satsuki paused mid-step, momentarily stunned. Ryuko's blood? Iori continued, politely keeping his back to her so she could cover her slip in composure, though she was sure he had noticed it. A few moments later, and Iori had stopped by another cylinder, set to the back of the chamber. Though similar to the others, this one differed in having a larger container dispensing blood - a small pool still supplied slow drips to the thread below - and in its lack of dust. Apparently, during his examination of this particular specimen, Iori had cleared the glass of the majority of its coating. She stepped up beside Iori and only just managed to stifle her gasp.

"Iori, how can this be?"

Within the tank, a single banshi rested. It was no more than a metre long, and appeared as still and lifeless as those banshi in the other containers. It differed, however, in two ways. Its surface was not a dull grey, but the deep, rich red of blood. Blood which, contrary to the other tanks, there was no evidence of in the bottom of the container. Drops fell from above, but no blood stained the floor of the tank. Though it seemed impossible, only one possible conclusion could be drawn. Satsuki's eyes narrowed as she contemplated the implications. Iori swiftly confirmed her assumptions.

"Yes, Lady Satsuki, this banshi is indeed alive. It has not been affected by the dormancy signal, as have the other life fibres gathered here. I have a theory as to why, if you will permit me to test it."

His eagerness did not surprise her, though his withholding of information did. It was rare Iori kept anything from her. However, as she could not yet guess at his conclusions, she tilted her head towards him in affirmation.

"You may proceed, Iori."

A simple palm press to a scanner at the side of the container immediately allowed Iori access to the banshi within, a window of glass retracting into the base of the cylinder. Satsuki allowed a small smile. How typical of Iori, to be able to contact Inumuta about disabling the security around the device even as he rushed to locate her.

Withdrawing a needle from within his lab coat Iori raised the object and, before she could interject, forcibly jabbed the middle finger of his left hand with the tip. Quickly removing the pin, he slipped both hands into the cylinder, squeezing the tip of his injured finger with his right hand. Satsuki watched as a bead of blood formed and, finally, dripped from his finger to impact the thread below. Satisfied, Iori removed his hands, replacing the glass window.

They both waited. The small drop of blood remained, unabsorbed by the fibre. Satsuki watched as disbelief and excitement lit up Iori's features, and was frustrated to find herself still in the dark. What conclusion had he reached? What was he testing? What did it mean that the banshi would not consume his blood, when it consumed Ryuko's-

A quick pause in her breathing was the only outward sign of her disbelief. She knew at once what Iori had been testing for, what its implications were. But how could that be? How could Nui have acquired his banshi?

And suddenly, she remembered. Ryuko's first encounter with Nui. Then, the couturier had removed one of his banshi, hoping to unravel him. She had thought it discarded in the battle. But to see this life fibre here; unaffected by the dormancy signal, only able to uptake Ryuko's blood...

Satsuki straightened. There was only one way to test their hypothesis. She turned to address her subordinate.

"Iori. Please make arrangements to have your equipment transported to the mansion, including any remaining Goku uniforms still containing active life fibres. I need to contact my sister."

* * *

"Ryuko! Hurry, hurry, hurry! We're going to be late!"

Ryuko rolled her eyes, zipping up her jacket.

"Calm down Mako, we'll be fine. We're only helping with cleanup anyway, what is there to be late for?"

Ryuko chuckled as Mako puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, before relenting and heading to the door. Immediately, her energetic friend bounded after her, radiant smile now lighting her face.

Since the final battle against Ragyo, life had been returning to normal. Of course, the debris left around town, and at the academy in particular, had made cleanup the number one priority for the townspeople. With school indefinitely suspended until everything could be put back in order, Mako and Ryuko had been spending their days shifting rubble and repairing buildings with the rest of the town. Due to her greater strength, Ryuko was often called upon to remove larger pieces of rubble that the regular townsfolk couldn't shift. It was day after day of tedious, tiring work, but Ryuko didn't mind the labour. Now the battle against Ragyo and the life fibres had been won, Ryuko needed something to distract her troubled brain from thinking too hard. On the future, on what she should do now. Did she just go back to school, attend like any other student? After months of growing and learning through battle, after becoming the student that saved the world, was she now expected to assimilate into the routine of attending class? Doing homework? That routine had never suited her _before_ this whole fiasco started, before the fighting, before she avenged her father, before she met... before-

She sighed.

_Senketsu..._

It had been six months since she had lost him, but the ache never truly left her chest.

Truthfully, as she threw herself everyday into shifting debris and restoring the town with a single minded determination, it was not thoughts of a future of school and homework and trying to fit in that threatened to invade and overwhelm her mind. Just thoughts of a future without her kamui. Over the months they had grown and fought and learned and laughed together, she never allowed herself to think _what if_. What if she lost him, what if he died? What would she do then? And now she found herself in exactly that position, without warning, and she found she could do little but force the issue from her mind.

Initially, immediately upon winning the battle, she had grieved. For weeks, Ryuko had been inconsolable, even Mako's cheery efforts to bring her out of her grief falling short of any success. She had been unable to cope, unable to comprehend a future without him. She would wake to see no uniform hanging from her dresser, her pyjamas covering her body in place of him, silence uninterrupted by his casual conversation or jabs at her weight or demands to be ironed.

Eventually, it was Mako who brought her back to herself. It was Mako who sat by her bedside and spoke to her in Senketsu's place. It was Mako who demanded she stop wallowing and get out of bed. It was Mako that took on Ryuko's grief as her own, holding her friend desperately and crying alongside her. In the end, it was the ever bouncy and optimistic Mako's grief that brought her back to herself. She had lost Senketsu, and she could not bear to be the one to bring such pain to her now closest friend.

And so Ryuko had forced her grief back down, back within the confines of her mind. She had allowed Mako to drag her from her bed, bathe and dress her, and force her from the house. It was Mako who, in one of her rare moments of intuition, had suggested helping with the cleanup, believing the work would bring Ryuko back to herself. It was Mako who had saved her from her own grief.

Over the months she had regained most of herself, of her pride and strength and attitude, but the ache persisted. She would never get over losing Senketsu, would never have him leave her mind for a moment. Without him, she felt naked. She was uncomfortable in her clothes, lonely when surrounded by her peers, and painfully incomplete when her body was healthy and whole. Though she kept these thoughts to herself, she knew her friends were not unaware of her suffering. She had heard the Mankanshoku's mention her sorrow when they thought she was sleeping, had seen the eyes of her sister soften near imperceptibly in pity. She was surrounded by reminders of her loss.

Angrily, she launched her fist at the remains of a concrete wall, reducing it to rubble. Here she was again, dwelling on the past, letting her misery take over. '_This is pathetic'_, she growled to herself, attempting to refocus on the task at hand. This area of destroyed residential buildings was nearly clear of large debris, though a few remnants of wall yet remained. Dusting off her hands, Ryuko eagerly strode to the next one, balling her hand into a ready fist-

The sudden blast of air from above was nearly strong enough to floor her, in her unguarded state. From the corner of her eye, she was aware of Mako somersaulting backwards, landing face-first in the rubble. Anger rising, she strained against the onslaught, turning her head to the left in time to see a large helicopter touch down mere dozens of feet from her position. How had she not noticed the sound of its approach? Her melancholy was making her lose focus. A sudden noise cut through the sound of the helicopter blades whipping through the air; a voice bellowing through a loudspeaker.

"Ryuko! Mako! Please board the helicopter! A situation at the mansion requires your immediate presence!"

Mako, struggling to her feet clumsily, managed to find the strength to waddle over to Ryuko as the helicopter blades slowed, reducing the force of the surrounding wind.

"Come on Ryuko! Big sister needs us! We must not be late for the helicopter!"

Swallowing her response, that they couldn't be 'late' to something that wasn't going anywhere till they were aboard (and that Mako needn't call Satsuki 'big sister', as they had no blood relation), Ryuko allowed Mako to drag her over to the copter. They had no sooner buckled themselves in than they had lifted off, gunning for the mansion.

Over the bellow of the copter blades, Ryuko called to Satsuki, who was seated across from her.

"Oi, Satsuki, what's this all about?! Why all the urgency? We under attack or something?!"

Satsuki shook her head, raising her voice just enough to be heard clearly.

"We will discuss this at the mansion. There is too much for me to relay to you now. You will understand better if we get there first."

Irritated, Ryuko sat back in her seat, watching the buildings whiz by out the window. Just what could be so important it warranted whisking her off in a helicopter?

* * *

Sound! There was sound!

He tried to make out the words, but he was so weak. The blood had been coming slower. He worried that soon it may stop altogether.

But finally, he could hear something. He felt his position on the surface he was on shift as he was moved from his prison to another location. He felt himself sway in time with the footsteps he could now hear rhythmically pounding a beat beneath him. He must be in a container then. He tried again to move, though his efforts proved in vain. He was still too weak.

He heard the distinct rattle and creaking of metal as his transporter continued their travel. Then the voices again. A woman's voice.

_Ryuko?! Ryuko, is that you? _

Still no answer. Apparently he couldn't be heard. The thought saddened him. But at least he had been found. Something was happening.

Perhaps these people could find out who he was. Perhaps they could lead Ryuko to him. If he could just hear her voice again, just one more time, he could die happy.

_Ryuko..._

* * *

**Here ends chapter one. Apologies if this feels rushed, I may go back over and edit this at some point, but I'm quite eager to get into the thick of this story. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry, had hoped to get this done sooner, but work got in the way somewhat. I've been on a late shift, and haven't been getting home till well into the night! As that's when I tend to do my writing, it created a bit of a block for me in writing this chapter. But finally, tis done. Already halfway through the next (I wrote a large chunk of it a while ago), so that's underway too. Hopefully I can get it to you a little sooner next time! Also, huge thanks to all my readers so far, and for the lovely reviews I've received. They do a real good job of encouraging you back to writing!**

**Still not super happy with this, but it'll do for now. Also, in case you missed my resubmission of the first chapter about a week ago, you may want to re-read that first. I made a few changes.**

**Don't own, never will.**

* * *

The journey from the helipad through the manor was accomplished swiftly, with Ryuko and Mako hurried down the staircases and labyrinthine corridors until they were whisked into the large drawing room Satsuki preferred to entertain guests in. Their entourage of large, burly men; whose heads had been too far above her own to peer over; left without so much as a word of apology for their haste once Ryuko and Mako had crossed the threshold. Huffing angrily, Ryuko glared daggers at her elder sister, already seated in her favourite chair. How she'd managed to arrive at the room before them was anyone's guess.

"Oi, Sats-"

"Ooooh, Ryuko! Look at the view! I bet I can see our house from here! Quick, Ryuko, help me look!" Mako was of course already over the haste of their arrival, exclaiming loudly over everything she could see from the huge wall of windows occupying one side of the room. Though Ryuko ignored her eager impeachments for help, Mako had the usual effect of calming her. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she sat in a chair beside her sister,

"So, Satsuki, what's this all about eh? Don't have enough people to boss around in this manor of yours?"

Satsuki hummed, accepting an offered cup of tea from Soroi and taking a small sip. Ryuko waved Soroi aside when he offered her a cup of her own, too irritated to feign niceties. Not cowed in the least by Ryuko's frustration, Satsuki calmly drained her cup before turning to answer her.

"Ryuko, surely you know I would not have summoned you here so hastily were there nothing important to report. Have you no faith in me still, little sister?"

She sniffed "Ugh, don't call me that."

"Very well, though that is what you are. As it happens, Iori discovered something earlier today while investigating Nui's rooms. An experiment she'd been working on, of a sorts."

Ryuko stilled at the mention of the former grand couturier, fighting to suppress her anger. An experiment of Nui's was certainly reason enough to summon her here. Her hand slid into her pocket absentmindedly, fingering the handle of her scissor.

"Well, what is it then? What's this experiment?"

"The experiment involved life fibres, naturally. She appears to have been feeding select banshi your blood, though we cannot conclude to what effect. Perhaps she had hoped it would imbue them with a greater strength. Whatever the reason, it did not help them escape the dormancy call. The chamber is filled with dead life fibres."

Ryuko's eyes widened. "Wait, my blood? How would she have even got a hold of my blood?"

Satsuki's smile looked too much like a smirk for Ryuko's tastes. "Getting a hold of your blood would have likely proved rather simple, Ryuko. Nui was involved in several battles with you. In case you've forgotten, you did shed an awful lot of blood in those bouts." Ryuko grunted. She supposed that was true enough. "In any case, amongst the dead fibres, Iori made an interesting discovery. We found a living banshi, one she had kept alive on your blood. How it has survived we have yet to determine, though it is troubling that it was able to resist the dormancy call. Of course, when it comes to life fibres, we have recently had to accept that we do not know as much about their nature as we allowed ourselves to believe. You are one such example, Ryuko. Your life fibres are also naturally resistant to the dormancy call, or you would have long since perished."

Ryuko winced. Though true, it still made her itch to think of all those threads hidden beneath her skin. She scratched her arm subconsciously.

"I understand how that could be a worry, but what exactly do you need me for? I mean, can't you just destroy it? Last I checked you still had Bakuzan."

"I need you to touch it."

_'Huh?'_

"Huh?"

Satsuki continued as if she hadn't heard her. "Our interests in this case go beyond the mere destruction of the thread. If it has not been altered by Nui, it may be something we could make use of. We are hoping that, by touching the thread, you might gain some insight into how it has survived. There exists the possibility that it may be one of your own, that Nui had somehow removed from you during battle. It would explain how it resisted the dormancy call, and could be kept alive on your blood. If so, I expect you will feel some resonance with it when you touch it."

Ryuko huffed. "Oh, right. I suppose I probably wouldn't have noticed her doing that either. Still, what do you want with a single banshi? What exactly can you do with it?"

"If the banshi is yours, and is able to survive outside your body, it may be possible to use our remaining surviving fibres to create a Goku uniform, with this thread as its banshi. That way, should we encounter any further threats, life fibre or otherwise, you need not enter battle alone."

Ryuko nodded slowly. So that's what she was after. "Hn! So what happens if it isn't mine? What if it's some messed up creation of Nui's?"

"We anticipate that you will react poorly to contact with it, and we will then of course destroy it. We cannot use a thread that Nui has somehow imbued with her will, or that of the original life fibres'."

"What exactly does 'reacting poorly' mean? Is it going to try and attack me or something?"

Satsuki shook her head. "That would be quite impossible. Banshi's are not conscious of their surroundings, and should not be capable of movement. What I'm referring to is more of a feeling, or vibe, that we expect you will feel from the contact."

Ryuko smirked, comfortable with the idea. It'd be nice to have someone fighting beside her again. More specifically, "Well, why not. It'd be good to know you've got my back again, Satsuki. I assume we'd be making the Goku uniform for you, right?"

"Hn. Naturally."

Ryuko grinned, rubbing her palms together eagerly. "Cool! So, where is this banshi of yours? Lets get this over with!"

Satsuki nodded, rising from her seat. "Soroi, please contact Iori and let him know we require his presence in the drawing room. Tell him Ryuko has agreed."

* * *

Iori arrived within ten minutes of the summons, along with several members of the security crew and, of course, Satsuki's Elite Four. Their arrival finally drew Mako's attention away from the view, which had managed to hold her focus during Ryuko and Satsuki's entire conversation. Naturally, Mako had no clue what was going on.

"Ah! Gamagori! Jakuzure! Iori! What are you all doing here?!"

Gamagori stilled upon noticing her, diverting his gaze away "Mankanshoku. Have you not been briefed on the situation?"

Ryuko chuckled, strolling over to wrap an arm around Mako's shoulders. "Of course we have, but you know Mako."

"Ah. Of course."

Mako blinked between the two of them, puzzled. Her attention was soon distracted again though when Iori retrieved a small glass box from one of the security personnel, placing it on a small side table beside her.

"Ooh! What's that, Iori? Ryuko, take a look!"

The container was empty but for a single red thread coiled at its bottom. A small capsule above the box steadily dripped blood into a funnel, which dispensed it to the thread. Ryuko watched as a drop hit the thread and was immediately absorbed. Definitely a live one.

Iori coughed, undoing the clasps around the lid of the box. "So, Ryuko, I assume you know what the purpose of all this is. Pick the banshi up, let us know how it feels, then place it back in the box. Should be simple."

"Uh-huh. And I assume all the muscle is in case everything turns out not so 'simple', right?"

"W-Well-"

Satsuki interjected. "That is correct, Ryuko. One can never be too careful, especially with something Nui may have experimented on. Still, I am not too concerned, hence why I am allowing this to happen in the drawing room and not a more secure chamber. As I have said, the banshi should be unable to move, let alone anything else."

She sighed, accepting her sisters paranoia. '_Guess it won't hurt_,' she thought to herself. Catching her eye, Satsuki turned to address the room.

"We are all going to move to the back of the room, by the exit, while Ryuko studies the banshi. I trust that no one here will do anything foolish if it becomes clear that retreat is the only option. I'll have no more senseless bloodshed. Is that clear?"

There was mumbled assent from the group before they retreated, leaving her alone in the centre of the room. Of course, Gamagori needed to carry Mako to the back of the room, as she hadn't paid enough attention to understand why she had to move. "Gamagori, why can't I stay with Ryuko?! I want to see what the thing in the box is too!"

Ryuko chuckled, then steeled herself. The thread looked innocuous enough in its container, though she knew not to trust anything that came from Nui. The last bit of clothing she'd touched of Nui's had twisted her mind and set her against her friends. She shuddered at the memory.

'_C'mon Ryuko, you can do this. It's just a single banshi_.'

Forcing her apprehensions aside, Ryuko lifted the lid and set it to one side. Then, raising her left hand, she reached in to touch the thread.

Naturally, things went wrong the moment Ryuko touched the banshi. The second her finger made contact, the thread sprung to life, curling around and ascending up her digit.

"O-Oi! What- Ouch!"

One end of the banshi's thread penetrated her skin, the remainder of its body coiling tight around her finger. She would have gotten angry, had already moved to rip the offending strand from her finger and crushed it to dust. Only the moment it penetrated her skin, the moment that blood contact was made, her hand stilled. She at once knew she would never do anything to harm this banshi. This wonderful, miraculous banshi.

Though, she realised belatedly, they had made sure to tell her nothing, had diverted her mind from even considering this possibility, had given her no hope to go on, she knew. His presence flooded into her, and she gasped in astonishment and euphoria. Suddenly complete, after months of being a mere shadow of herself, alone in a way she knew no one else could understand. He had no words to give her, no body beyond that single thread, no strength to do anything but desperately cling to her finger. And yet she could feel the phantom weight of him return to her body, as if he once again covered her skin. It was amazing, breathtaking, a miracle beyond imagining... and impossible.

"S-Sen-"

Her legs buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground, breathless and coiled around her hand in a subconscious, protective gesture.

"I-It can't be..." she wheezed. Immediately, the thread coiled tighter around her finger, the twinge of pain it caused an admonition to her statement. Trembling, she ran a finger along the banshi's coiled length, and it at once relaxed. Her heart constricted in awe and relief, and huge heaving sobs wracked her body as she held the red strand tightly, balling her hand up against her chest to bring it at close as possible. Immediately, she felt it ripple in pleasure, pulsing a couple of times to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

"Senketsu..." she whispered into her hands. The thread squeezed her finger gently. Affirmation.

Bawling, she could manage no more. She was hardly aware of Mako wrapping her arms around her, barely cognizant when she whispered his name to her through heaving sobs, so numb to the world when Mako yelled his name to the others that she could almost have imagined it. Her focus was shrunk entirely to her and the thread, to Senketsu, and the hysteric relief that flooded her mind. Whole, at last. Together again. Crying out in disbelief and elation, she was unaware of lifting the thread to her lips and kissing it, nor of the answering vibrations that ran the length of her finger as Senketsu absorbed this new sensation.

* * *

_Ryuko!_

She was here, she'd found him! That familiar touch! The wonderful, strong sound of her voice! He didn't know where the sudden strength had come from, though he expected her proximity had something to do with it. Finally, he could move! A quick jab with the end of his string; and a quicker flash of remorse for her pain; and she was there. All around him, inside him. Ah, sweet bliss! To be with her once more, to have her recognise and welcome him. Finally, to feel complete again!

_Ryuko, it's me! I'm _here_, Ryuko!_

He waits for a response, but nothing follows. A brief pang of remorse, to be together again and yet unable to be heard! When her words do come they're all wrong, and he coils around her tighter when she tries to dismiss that it's him. He feels her heart rate quicken in response. A successful means of communication, then.

But even if there could never be more than this, even if he could never do more than hear her voice and squeeze her finger, he'd manage. Just to be with her again, to be surrounded by her warmth, her voice, her blood, to feel her welcome him back to her, to know she felt his absence as strongly as he'd felt hers. It was all he would ever-

Heat. Moisture. The sound of her breath right beside him.

_Ryuko?! Did you just-?_

His body vibrated as she removed her lips. The sensation was so new, so different, so _intimate_.

Becoming aware of her slip into unconsciousness too late, he unwittingly followed her, too hung up on the new sensation to stop himself.

_Ryuko, that was-_

* * *

Though she had suspected that the banshi was Senketsu's, and had been prepared for that revelation, she had not expected such an extreme effect to its touch on Ryuko. Indeed, the banshi had done something completely unexpected. Even from where she stood, several metres behind Ryuko's hunched form, she could see the small drops of blood that stained her otherwise pristine carpet. The implications were almost beyond belief.

_'It can't be...'_

She turned to Iori, unsurprised to see he had also made the connection. His face was as pale as she'd ever seen it, furrowed in disbelief. Quietly, she directed him aside, flashing the other onlookers a stern glance to ensure they did not intervene. She would leave Ryuko to Mankanshoku, who she knew would ignore any orders to stay put.

"I-It's not possible!" muttered Iori, the moment she released him. Composing himself, he ran a hand through his hair, fingers absentmindedly toying with a knot. "Do you know what this means, Lady Satsuki? In my wildest dreams, I never thought-" He stopped, taking deep breaths. Had the situation been less serious, Satsuki would have smiled at his antics. Iori was not easily flustered.

"I see we have reached the same conclusion, Iori. I would suggest accepting the situation, rather than puzzling it out. My fathers research holds many secrets yet. For instance, his ability to create consciousness in a kamui. We may never know how he accomplished such things, just as we should not allow ourselves to be too surprised when his creations prove capable of things beyond our current understanding of life fibres."

"Then it's true. Senketsu. He's-" He trailed off, the word hovering between them.

_Alive_.

As she watched Mako wrap herself around Ryuko, the latter going slack as her weeping trailed off into silence, she waited for the realisation to fully soak in. It wasn't long, of course, before the news was related to the other onlookers.

"Waaah! She says it's Senketsu! No way! Senketsu's back! He's back, back, BACK!"

Mako's shrill yell echoed loudly around the room, and woke everyone from their trance. Confusion and amazement rippled through the small crowd as people stepped forward to see for themselves. Satsuki noticed that Gamagori naturally gravitated toward Mako, where he was in the process of trying to disengage her from Ryuko, whom she was subconsciously suffocating with the force of her hold.

While she would normally be stifling a chuckle at their antics, the force of her recent revelation had stilled her. She had expected the banshi to react to Ryuko in some way, but the possibility that Senketsu had somehow transferred his consciousness into the single thread almost defied belief. Almost.

For, after all, weren't he and Ryuko constantly testing their understanding of life fibres? Senketsu should never have been able to exist at all, as a separate consciousness from the other life fibres. And yet he had proved himself wholly individual. Unique. _Human_.

Knowing this, and having witnessed the banshi coil itself around Ryuko and take her blood, how could she do anything but accept the only conclusion possible, likely or no? She turned back to Iori, finally unable to hold back a small smile.

"Yes, Iori, it appears he is. We will discuss this further with Ryuko once she has rested. Please advise Gamagori that we will need her transported to a room for observation. A larger one would be best, as I expect Mankanshoku will prove impossible to remove. And Iori-" she touched his shoulder, allowing some of her concern to show "Please, research the implications of this. If Senketsu's consciousness is intact, we cannot leave him in such a state. My sister will likely insist he be reconstituted once she is conscious, in any case. It would be better to start looking into such a possibility now, wouldn't you agree?"

With a clear goal now in mind, Iori immediately brightened, eyes full of determination "Of course, Lady Satsuki. I shall begin at once."

Nodding, Satsuki turned and left the room. Now the shock had subsided, it was time to arrange a suitable workstation for Iori, along with living arrangements for her guests. She sighed. Six months since Ragyo's defeat, and already life was becoming chaotic again.

* * *

Deep beneath the manor. The dark, chill depths of Nui's chambers. Deeper still than the banshi room. Somewhere long without visitors, where the dust coats the ground in thick, grimy layers. A noise erupts from behind a sealed door.

"Error: Sample removed. Copy interrupted. Altering design."

A computer. The screen is turned off, and so offers no illumination. And yet something flickers in the darkness. Flashes of red light, thin tendrils that pulse with an internal luminescence. Slowly, they drift towards a central point, weaving around one another, darting between pieces of machinery, congregating around a pivoting metal frame. Various parts of the contraption shift as the computer runs its analysis, then finally settle. The strands hover around the machine. Pulsing in the darkness. Waiting.

"Analysis complete, design altered. Initiating."


End file.
